OT/MISC GoFundMe "Trump Wall" Campaign to Refund All Donors After Falling Short of $1B Goal - FORMS NEW 501(c)(4)

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A GoFundMe campaign to subsidize what it called "the Trump Wall" will refund all money to donors because it did not meet its $1 billion goal, said Bobby Whithorne, director of North America Communications for GoFundMe. Donors will receive their money on April 11, unless they choose to donate their contribution to the campaign creator's new venture, GoFundMe said in an email to the campaign's participants.

Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran, raised more than $20 million on the crowd-funding platform to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. At the onset of the campaign, Kolfage said he would only collect the funds if the campaign hit its goal of $1 billion -- about one-fifth of what President Trump has been demanding from Congress to build it. "However, that did not happen. This means all donors will receive a refund," Whithorne said in an email to CBS News.

The refund announcement came a day after BuzzFeed News reported that Kolfage pocketed money in a previous GoFundMe campaign intended to help other wounded soldiers. Kolfage raised $16,246 for a veteran mentorship program, but BuzzFeed News reports that after collecting the funds, he didn't use the money as promised: none of the partners he claimed to have worked with -- including Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical Center and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany -- have any records that Kolfage worked with their patients or donated money, according to representatives at the centers that BuzzFeed News spoke to.

In an update to donors Friday, Kolfage did not say missing the goal was the main reason for the refund. Instead, he pointed to government inefficiencies and the fact that the federal government "won't be able to accept our donations anytime soon." Kolfage gave donors the option of giving their GoFundMe contribution to himself and a team he assembled to privately construct the border wall. The group, a 501(c)(4), is called "We Build the Wall, Inc.," according to an email from GoFundMe to contributors.

brian-kolfage-intv-frame-3668.jpg
Brian Kolfage CBS News

"Our highly experienced team is highly confident that we can complete significant segments of the wall in less time, and for far less money, than the federal government, while meeting or exceeding all required regulatory, engineering, and environmental specifications," Kolfage wrote in his update.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, a 501(c)(4) is an non-profit "operated exclusively to promote social welfare."

Donors will have to proactively opt to give the money to Kolfage; if they do nothing the money will automatically be returned, according to Whithorne.

A spokesperson for Brian Kolfage, Jennifer Lawrence, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Eight days before Christmas I started this GoFundMe campaign because I was tired of watching the U.S. government’s inability to secure our southern border. Like most Americans, I see the porous southern border as a national security threat and I refuse to allow our broken political system to leave my family and my country vulnerable to attack.

The plan of action was simple and straightforward to raise money to construct a wall on our southern border. We have raised over $20 Million from 325,000 plus donors and we are only just getting started! I have been literally overwhelmed and inspired by the outpouring of support, calls, and emails from American citizens who support our efforts to Build the Wall. I got some hate as well but that was easy to ignore with all the positive feedback I was getting. I immediately sought out and consulted with some of our country's leading professionals in law, politics, national security, construction, and finance. This team has spent countless hours over the holidays reviewing all issues pertaining to the construction of a southern border wall. Unanimously, we have all come to the conclusion that:

-The federal government won’t be able to accept our donations anytime soon.

-We are better equipped than our own government to use the donated funds to build an actual wall on the southern border.

-Our highly experienced team is highly confident that we can complete significant segments of the wall in less time, and for far less money, than the federal government, while meeting or exceeding all required regulatory, engineering, and environmental specifications.

-Our team strongly believes that we can complete our segments of the wall for less than half of the government’s estimated costs on a per mile basis.

To show the government how “We the People” can get this done, we have formed a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit Florida Corporation named “We Build the Wall, Inc.” to receive the GoFundMe contributions. Our website can be found at www.webuildthewall.us.

The following individuals serve on the on the advisory board, and construction, finance, and or audit committees, operations, administration, PR, Media and ongoing fundraising:

We have made significant progress in less than a month. We have begun extensive due diligence and the commencement of feasibility studies engaging leading experts in a variety of fields necessary to construct our border wall. These professionals have provided us with critical guidance on the legal, engineering, contracting, environmental, accounting, maintenance, and real estate issues required to build a wall on the southern border.

We are already taking action on

-Identifying the most densely crossed areas of the border
-Soliciting affected landowners along the Southern border
-Studying the most feasible solutions based on terrain, barrier styles, environmental impact and efficacy
-Ascertaining the willingness of border landowners to provide no or low-cost easements on their property for wall construction

If the Democrats won't provide the funding for what the American people voted for in 2016 then we the people will. When Americans see us completing real miles of beautiful wall, we know that we will raise the many billions we need to finally secure the entire border. I am 100% committed to secure our southern border and protect Americans.

There is a lot of work ahead of us, but this has never deterred me in the past. With the help of our highly experienced team, and your support, we will make this work!

The Articles of Incorporation and Mission Statement of We Build The Wall, Inc. make delivering on my promise to get a wall on the southern border built the clear objective and purpose of the organization.

“Our mission is to unite private citizens that share a common belief in providing national security for our Southern Border through the construction, administration and maintenance of physical barriers inhibiting illegal entry into the United States. In interpreting the purpose of the Corporation, the Board of Directors and Members of the Advisory Board will consider the impact of a proposed structure on a selected site’s environment and construct barriers primarily designed to prevent illegal access to the United States, rather than cause catastrophic injury. We will focus on building portions of a U.S. Southern Border wall and manage the support operations required for, and the processes associated with, the design, engineering, construction, and maintenance of the wall.”

100% of the funds raised on GoFundMe will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose. To honor the commitment, we made to our donors; all funds raised, less the processing fees and refunds, will be transferred to a special purpose account to carry out the purposes and mission of We Build the Wall, Inc. I will personally not take a penny of compensation from these donations.

When I created this fundraiser, I said if we did not reach our goal we will refund donors. I am honoring that commitment today. We will promptly refund your donation unless you tell us you approve our new plan for action.

I WANT TO BUILD THE WALL!

You MUST tell GoFundMe you still want to Build the Wall or your contribution will not be included in this historic project.

If you want a refund for your donation, no need to do anything. You will receive your refund a few weeks after the 90 days expires and GoFundMe will notify you once your refund has processed. If you would prefer a refund now, you can request that here: https://bit.ly/2smynWq

The wonder of our time isn’t how angry we are at politics and politicians; it’s how little we’ve done about it. - Fran Porretto
-http://bastionofliberty.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-wholly-rational-hatred.html

I got a suspicion the guy may get appointed over spending the money for trump or ensuring the wall gets built. A non government employee is not limited by the shackles of government over site. That is the scariest part and I think what really scares the bejeebers out of the swamp.

1 Corinthians 18:20 “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

When one forms a 501(c) corp, ANYONE can file a complaint against it. Every single complaint must be addressed, in some cases via written reply, and in others via hearing. The hysterical snowflakes will drive that company into the ground.

Incidentally, when the UB haters forced me to incorporate, I spoke to a corporate attorney about all this, which is why TB is a standard C Corp.

This was never going to work. It was always unclear whether Homeland Security or any appropriate specific agency could legally receive and use the funds for the desired purpose. Nice idea, but not well thought out.

From the OP: In an update to donors Friday, Kolfage did not say missing the goal was the main reason for the refund. Instead, he pointed to government inefficiencies and the fact that the federal government "won't be able to accept our donations anytime soon."

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He was probably told to cease and desist in this effort...or consequences. No way will "they" allow a wall. But $1 B. was a lofty goal anyway.

Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Most places along the border the US government has a wide easement. The exception is mostly Texas where the center of the river is the border and there are no easements along the banks of the river (I don't think). In Arizona the gov could build the wall the whole length of the state and sure wish they would do so.

I don't understand why this is still ongoing if they had to give back money to donors already.

I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
— Robert Heinlein

Of the 131,230 responses, 121,900 or 93.6% have chosen to back the new plan. Just 8,330 or 6.3% have chosen to receive an immediate refund. These total responses represent 40% of the 324,144 original contributors who are required to provide opt-in consent within 90 days from January 11, 2019.

Mr. Kolfage and We Build the Wall Inc. remain in good standing with GoFundMe and are continuing to use the platform www.gofundme.com/thetrumpwall to raise additional money with the goal of raising more than a billion dollars. All new contributions received at www.gofundme.com/thetrumpwall after the update on January 11, 2019 at 2pm Eastern are NOT subject to the opt-in requirements.

We Build the Wall Inc. has also received approximately 3,500 plus checks which are presently being processed by a bonded and insured caging and escrow services provider. Donors are being notified by mail of new status update and their option to receive a full refund or opt in to We Build the Wall.

**************
These are the current numbers:
$20,671,769 of $1.0B goal
Raised by 350,690 people in 1 month (over 25,000 in less than 30 days)

Because you can opt out of the refund and have your donation go to the guy directly.

Why would people want 'the guy' to have all this money?
I thought GoFundMe shut it down or something??

I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
— Robert Heinlein

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